And so it was, out of tragedy and disaster sprang a ray of hope, of life reborn. Reluctantly & unexpectedly, Iona & I stood blinking at each other realising we were parents once again, responsible for a poor helpless being that now depended utterly on us.

– PETER PENNINGTON

Iona and Peter have been told that the chances of successfully rearing an orphaned deer are quite low, but that hasn’t stopped them from trying.

The last week of Twiggy’s life have been spent going for walks in the surrounding grounds (Deer can walk from birth), and sharing the warmth of the couple’s kitchen with their three dogs and their cat.

The Penningtons have compared caring for the deer with raising their own three children, with Peter saying “we thought we finished with the middle of the night feeding regimes 20 or more years ago!”.